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Describe a kind of foreign food you like and you have had: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What the dish is?
  • Where you tried it?
  • What ingredients or taste you enjoyed?
  • And explain why you like it.
Show all 182 answers

Cue 1:What the dish is?

  • Begin by naming the foreign dish you enjoy and give a brief description of it.
  • Mention any unique features of the dish that make it stand out.

Example

One foreign dish that I absolutely love is sushi. It's a traditional Japanese dish that consists of vinegared rice paired with various ingredients, including seafood, vegetables, and sometimes tropical fruits.


Cue 2:Where you tried it?

  • Describe the location where you first tried this dish, whether it was a restaurant, a friend's house, or during a trip.
  • Share any memorable experiences related to that place.

Example

I first tried sushi at a popular Japanese restaurant in my city called 'Sushi House'. I went there with my friends to celebrate my birthday, and the ambiance was vibrant and welcoming, which made the experience even more enjoyable.


Cue 3:What ingredients or taste you enjoyed?

  • Talk about the specific ingredients that you liked in the dish.
  • Describe the flavors and textures that made the dish appealing to you.

Example

What I enjoyed most about sushi were the fresh ingredients, especially the salmon and avocado. The combination of the soft, sticky rice with the creamy avocado and the rich flavor of the salmon created a delightful taste that was both refreshing and satisfying.


Cue 4:And explain why you like it.

  • Explain your personal connection to the dish and why it holds significance for you.
  • Mention any cultural aspects or health benefits that contribute to your preference.

Example

I like sushi not only for its delicious taste but also because it represents a healthy eating option. It’s light yet filling, and I appreciate the artistry involved in making it. Additionally, trying sushi has opened my eyes to Japanese culture, which I find fascinating.


Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, sushi is more than just a meal for me; it’s an experience that combines flavor, culture, and health. I look forward to trying different varieties of sushi in the future and exploring more of what Japanese cuisine has to offer.


    Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.


    Tips to answer this Cue Card

    1: Being Too Vague

    Candidates often provide unclear or general answers without specific details about the dish. This can make the response less engaging and informative.

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    Tip

    Include specific details about the dish, such as its name, ingredients, and unique flavors to create a vivid picture.


    2: Ignoring the Cues

    Some candidates fail to address all the cues provided, which can lead to incomplete answers and lower scores.

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    Tip

    Make sure to cover all the cues: what the dish is, where you tried it, what you enjoyed, and why you like it.


    Lack of Personal Connection

    Responses that lack personal anecdotes or feelings can seem flat and uninteresting, making it hard for the examiner to connect.

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    Tip

    Share a personal story or memory related to the dish to make your answer more relatable and engaging.


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    IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

    Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

    Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

    location icon

    Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

    Answer

    I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

    Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 8

    location icon

    Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

    Answer

    The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

    Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

    location icon

    Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

    Answer

    As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

    Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

    location icon

    Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

    Answer

    When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

    Describe a book you recently read
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

    location icon

    CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

    Answer

    It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

    All Answers

    Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

    Band 7

    A food that I tried and fell in love with the first bite was a smashed burger. Recently, a new cafe opened in our neighborhood. It was just a small burger joint and when I went there, in the menu I saw a smashed burger. I hadn't had any smashed burgers before so I just thought of trying it. But when I tasted it, it was just heaven. It was made of a soft brioche bun, topped with lettuce, then a juicy grilled patty that was smashed and charred to perfection. And it was topped with their custom sauce that I think was prepared with mayonnaise, tomato, mustard and pickles. And it was again topped with pickled onions and another piece of lettuce and it was closed with a brioche bun. And when I just took the bite, it was indescribable because it was so perfectly combined that I couldn't describe my happiness. It was like an instant euphoria.

    Band 7

    The food that, the foreign food that I have tried and tasted and have tremendously fallen in love with would be pizza. I never really got an opportunity to have pizza growing up because none of my family members liked relishing a delicious pizza, but the first pizza I had was at Domino's in my hometown. The pizza I love would definitely be the hot and fiery pizza that they have. I love the cheese pull, the cheese, my mouth has started watering now actually, but I love the cheese, the crust, I prefer wheat crust over the refined flour crust because I feel somehow it's a healthier alternative. Moreover, I love the toppings, especially jalapenos and paprika, they are my favorite. Along with that, I also like olives. I like all of these toppings because, especially the jalapenos and paprika because they give the spice that I like in food. The spicy and tangy taste of jalapeno is something that I look forward to every time I am in a pizza place and paprika is obviously spicy, so yeah, I like it very much.

    Band 7

    So, a foreign food which I really prefer and has recently become one of my favorite dish is the chicken Korean Ramen. The first time I tried this dish was in a Korean restaurant named Kori which is located in Guwahati. And the reason I found this dish to be so fascinating was for a particular kimchi flavor it produced. So kimchi is basically a fermented cabbage or fermented pickle which is used in Korean dishes to make them more spicy and tastier and that was something which really caught in my mouth and the taste made me feel like it gave me quite a bit of an adrenaline rush as I may frame it. The spiciness of the food, the chicken broth, the noodles, everything dipped with kimchi made the dish very tastier and very appealing to me as well as the chicken broth was very soothing for the gut health as well and these kind of ramen are even very easier to make and are very price efficient.

    Band 7

    One type of foreign food that I really enjoy is Japanese Sushi. I first tried it in a restaurant in Delhi and I was really curious because I had heard so much about it. The sushi I had was made of rice, seaweed, fresh fish and some vegetables. I could taste the salty seaweed, the slightly sweet rice and the freshness of fish. All together, the combination was very unique and refreshing. After that, I even tried making sushi at home. To be honest, I didn't do a very good job because rolling the sushi properly was much harder than I expected. Still, it was fun experiencing and I realized how much skill is needed to prepare it well. Apart from sushi, I also love Korean food, especially ramen noodles. Unlike sushi, ramen is easier for me to make at home. I usually cook the noodles and add vegetables, boiled eggs and some spicy seasoning. The flavors are rich, warm and comforting, especially during winters. The reason I like these food is that they are different from Indian cuisine. The spices are also different. They give me a chance to experience new flavors and culture. Also, I enjoy cooking them at home. Even if they don't always turn out to be perfect, eating these dishes makes me feel connected to the other parts of the world and that's something I really enjoy. New flavors, cultural experience, enjoyable cooking is my forte and I love doing it. Cooking is one of my hobbies as well.

    Band 7

    My favorite foreign food that I have tried so far is Turkish food and more specifically a kofta platter. I tried it while I was traveling in Qatar a few years back from an authentic Turkish restaurant. It mainly consists of ground meat kebabs which are paired with pickled vegetables and a flat thin bread. I like it mainly because it tastes wonderful. There is a harmonious blend of flavors and the specific fusion of tastes that leaves you astounded. If fate allows me, I would like to have more of such food.

    Band 7

    So, the foreign dish which I like the most till now is the Afghani Pulao. Afghani Pulao I have tasted in one of the restaurants in Delhi called Mazar. The dish that is the Afghani Pulao uses a rich variety of spices. It has rice in it. It has dry fruits. It has vegetables. It has the ghee and it has many other ingredients like mutton which is the main ingredient in it. It has curd and it has various other herbs which adds to its taste and aroma. The thing which I like the most in this Afghani Pulao, of course, is rice. Rice is something which is very staple to my family, to my hometown. We eat lot of rice. So, rice definitely is something which I like the most. Over and above, it has the caramelized carrots in it which are just mouth-watering. With just its lingering taste, you can never forget. The raisins, black currants which are used in it is a feathering cap. Moreover, ghee which is very traditional thing consumed in India, it simply adds to its taste.

    Band 7

    So, one foreign food I particularly enjoy is sushi, which originates from Japan. Sushi typically consists of vinegar rice combined with raw or cooked seafood, vegetables and some tropical fruits all neatly rolled in a seaweed or shaped into bite-sized pieces. So, I first tried sushi about two years ago at a Japanese restaurant in my city. At first, I was hesitant because the idea of eating raw tuna, fish felt unusual to me, but the presentation was so beautiful that I couldn't resist it and I ordered a platter that included salmon, nigiri, tuna, maki rolls and a vegetarian option with avocado. What impressed me the most was the balance of flavours, the freshness of the fish, the slight tanginess of the rice and the hint of heat from the wasabi. It was a completely different taste experience compared to the spicy and heavily seasoned dishes I am used to in Indian cuisine. I enjoyed most were the fresh ingredients, the delicate balance of flavours, the salmon and tuna had a clean buttery taste and I like sushi not only for its unique flavour but also because it feels light and healthy. In fact, trying sushi inspired me to explore other Japanese dishes and it sparked an interest in Japanese culture overall and I think that's the beauty of foreign food, it allows you to experience another country's traditions through taste.

    Band 7

    I love Korean food and one of the dishes that I thoroughly enjoyed was the bibimbap. I loved how different types of ingredients are put in the bibimbap and one can thoroughly enjoy the different proteins that are included in the bibimbap. For example, it is a mix of rice, egg, cucumber and other vegetables that make the dish extremely delicious and I would recommend this dish to as many people as I can because it is also very easy to make. I tried bibimbap for the first time in the Korean Cultural Center which is the Korean embassy situated in South Delhi. It was around two years ago when I had gone with my friends to try Korean food and I absolutely fell in love with enjoying different types of Korean food like corn dog, ramen and so on. However, bibimbap really, really caught my attention because of the flavors, the delicious ingredients that are used and also it often comes with side dishes like kimchi which is made of cabbage. It is a kind of pickle which is made using cabbage or cucumber or even radish but I love the one that they make using cabbage. It is also a great source of probiotic and therefore I would recommend people to try.

    Band 7

    I am a foodie, and I love to eat. No matter where I go, the first thing on my checklist is good food. And when I talk about my favorite food, without question, it is Italian food, and especially Alfredo pasta topped with pesto and parmesan cheese. The best pasta I had was in a vintage Italian restaurant located in Delhi NCR, and its name is Italiano. I love how it tastes, and especially when the cheese melts in my mouth, it's actually very mouthwatering. And it is also my comfort food, like I can eat it whenever I have to, without any doubt. And the thing that makes it my favorite is, it is a very subtle taste, warming to my tongue, and I love the way it comforts my stomach and my taste buds.

    Band 7

    The food, sorry, the foreign food that I like the most is pizza. So I have tasted pizza for the first time when I was six years old at a newly inaugurated Domino's outlet in New Delhi. It was not that popular back then, but in the current period, that dish has become really popular in my country. When I looked at pizza, I was mesmerized. It was unlike anything that I have eaten before. The way the cheese was spread over it was something that really caught my attention. The taste of cheese along with tomato, corn and chili flakes was really marvelous. The best thing that I like about the pizza are the combination of various ingredients such as cheese and various kinds of vegetables and in recent times, like paneer and all, which gives it a unique flavor.

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